Communication systems typically include a plurality of communication devices, such as mobile or portable radio units (sometimes called “subscribers”), dispatch consoles, call loggers and base radios (sometimes called base stations or base site repeaters) that are geographically distributed among various base sites and infrastructure sites. The radio units wirelessly communicate with the base stations and each other using radio frequency (RF) communication resources, and are often logically divided into various subgroups or talkgroups. Communication systems are often organized as trunked systems, where the RF communication resources are allocated on a call-by-call basis among multiple users or groups. Large communication systems are sometimes organized into a plurality of “zones,” wherein each zone includes multiple sites and a central controller or server (“zone controller”) for allocating communication resources among the multiple sites.
A problem that arises in communication systems, most particularly in large systems comprising several sites and/or zones, is that it can take several minutes to bring all of the sites and/or zones into service after failures, system upgrades, and the like. A related problem is there is no deterministic order for determining which sites/zones should be established first (or nearly first). Consequently, inefficiencies arise in that less important sites/zones may be brought into service several minutes before the more important sites. For example, consider a talkgroup call initiated during a “coming in service” period having members at multiple sites. In present day systems, it is possible that members at certain sites will miss the call entirely, or at least a large portion of the call, while their site is awaiting service, even while non-participating sites are coming into service. Generally, it would be desirable to bring participating sites into service before the non-participating sites to optimize participation in the talkgroup.
Accordingly, there is a need for a systematic, rule-based method that optimally determines a restart sequence for certain sites/zones, etc. after failures, system upgrades, etc. Advantageously, the rules for prioritization may be defined, and/or changed dynamically, by the system operator. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.